One of the best things to do while waiting for your baby to arrive is to have fun decorating the nursery.
You will want to ensure space for all the right equipment. You will need a changing surface, storage for the nappies (diapers), a nursing chair, a cot, etc., but the really good part is choosing the decor!
Typical baby room decor centres around pastel colours. Many parents choose pastel green or yellow if they don’t know the baby’s sex or blue/pink if they do. There is no reason you shouldn’t introduce more ‘adult’ colours to the room, which can be done quite easily. You can also theme the room, which can look really cute.
I think people sometimes put too much thought and effort into baby room design and forget that it can all be changed if they decide they don’t like it. My advice is—just go for it! It’s your house and your room, so have it how you like! Don’t take any notice of the baby magazines or what your friends have in their houses. If you are comfortable, then Baby will be comfortable.
The most important thing about a baby’s room is that the child should be safe and comfortable. Once these things have been addressed, everything else is personal taste. Here are some ideas you might consider:
Jungle
Bring lots of faux greenery into the room and hang stuffed animals from the ceiling. Play taped jungle sounds as lullabies. Decorate the walls with a jungle mural or put up jungle posters.
Pastel Stripes
Alternate stripes on the walls in pastel colours. Use solid colors on the accessories (furniture, cushions, etc.) so that it’s not too overwhelming.
Rainbow Colours
Paint the walls white or cream and introduce rainbow colours as toys, banners etc.
Outdoors
Paint the ceiling with a trompe l’oil mural of the sky with fluffy clouds. Hang aeroplanes and kites from the ceiling. Have a green carpet and use camping furniture.
Under The Sea
Paint the walls blue and cut out lots of paper fish in different sizes, shapes and colours. These can be stuck to the wall out of Baby’s reach and moved around to maintain interest. You could have a real fish tank, too. Play a whale song to soothe Baby.
Angels
Paint the walls pale blue, lavender or pale pink and have angels around the top as guardians of the child. There are lots of angel accessories you can find quite easily with angels on.
Zodiac
Choose a theme based on the Baby’s birth sign. You could incorporate the colour and the animal.
Whichever theme you choose, remember the safety aspects. If you have anything breakable, keep it out of Baby’s reach. Any small items that could be a choking hazard should also be kept away from Baby, so if you fix anything to the wall, make sure it can’t fall into the cot. If you use any handmade items, ensure the paint is suitable and won’t flake off.
Remember that your Baby can’t see very far, so include things that can be placed close to the cot without falling in. Another good idea is to have things that make a sound, such as wind chimes. Choose the wooden ones as they have a nicer sound.
I hope these ideas have helped. Whatever you choose, your baby will love you for it!
